


First Steps

by GingerLyoness



Category: The Hour
Genre: Angst, F/M, First Steps, determination and stuff, post s2e6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2013-07-31
Packaged: 2017-12-22 00:37:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerLyoness/pseuds/GingerLyoness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Freddie takes his first steps after recovery. Post Series Two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Steps

**Author's Note:**

  * For [diaghileafs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/diaghileafs/gifts).



> This was written from the prompt 'first steps' from my very own Moneypenny, en-dejlig-rosa. Beware, it made her cry.

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can.”

“Bel…”

If there was one way to tell when Freddie was annoyed, it was when he started calling Bel by name rather than his usual ‘Moneypenny’.

“Don’t ‘Bel’ me, we need to get you up – Dr. Britsch said you need to so that your muscles can get used to working normally again,” Bel told him encouragingly.

“Well Dr. Britsch can go and-”

“Freddie,” she raised an eyebrow, “don’t be like that. You know we can go back home as soon as you’re steady on your feet again.”

“Well, it’s not as if Switzerland is a horrid place to be, is it?” he replied irritably, shifting on his bed where he sat propped against the pillows, rain pattering against the window as he looked out of it.

“No,” Bel sighed, “it isn’t. But come on, what are you so afraid of?”

“Who said I was afraid?” Freddie defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest as he raised an accusing eyebrow.

“I did,” she rolled her eyes, sitting on the bed next to him, “why won’t you tell me what’s the matter?”

“Are you just going to keep prodding me if I don’t tell you?”

“Yes, I am. So I would get on with it if I were you,” she smiled, trying to cheer him.

“Fine,” he sighed, looking suspiciously like a stroppy child, “I’m worried that… things won’t work properly.”

Bel paused, unsure of what to say to him. He sighed again before continuing.

“And I’m annoyed about that, because I know I _should_ be able to, but I know I’ll need help,” he paused, “and I don’t like being helped.”

Bel nodded, a grim smile on her face though it contained no humour, “I see.”

“But you _don’t_ see. You _don’t_ know what it’s like to have to do this. You _don’t_ know what it’s like to have spent months recovering from being _beaten to a pulp_ by a group of sadistic criminal pricks. You _just don’t,_ ” he leaned back, breathing heavy, face pained as his ribs protested, still not quite back to normal, “and you also don’t know how humiliating it is having to be helped with everything when you prefer to be independent.”

“Well, it’s not as if you could have looked after yourself, is it?”

“I know!” he cried, “just- just stop, please. I’m fed up of talking about it, alright?”

Bel sighed, “I’m going to leave you to cool off. Perhaps you’ll be in a better mood when I come back.”

As the door shut behind her, Freddie sighed, leaning back into his pillows dejectedly. Deciding to take a leap of faith, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, letting them dangle for a moment before pushing forwards to let his feet rest flat on the floor.

As he pushed himself up to stand, his legs gave protest, making him sit abruptly.

“Not going to happen without a Zimmer frame,” he muttered to himself, grunting as he noticed it was on the other side of the room, “bloody brilliant.”

He sat for a moment, contemplating what he could do about the situation. He grinned as an idea formed in his head, sliding slowly from the bed to the floor, pulling himself towards the frame quickly.

After a moments struggle, he managed to push it back towards the bed as he slid along the floor behind it, using it to help himself get back up onto the bed. Positioning himself behind it from where he sat on the bed, before pulling himself up, letting most of his weight go through his arms.

He smiled to himself, looking up suddenly as the door opened, revealing Bel with Dr. Britsch, both looking equally astounded.

Freddie’s smile turned to a grin as he moved forward a pace, “impressed, are we?” he joked, raising an eyebrow quizzically as he continued forwards, watching Bel’s look of shock transform into a smile, both of them sharing a look as he went through the door.


End file.
